The Sorcerer And The Artist: Common Myths

I can only draw stick figures.  I'm not talented.  I just can't Draw. It must come naturally for you.  I'm not creative enough.  I'm no good drawing people, I can't ever get the eyes right.  I can't even draw a straight line.  Shading is too difficult.  I just don't have the eye for it.  Etc...

I Can't Draw Gardie by livinlovindude

   I've heard them all.  The frustrating thing is, many people believe that they truly can't draw.  Today I'm going to debunk these myths and show you that the only thing holding you back is yourself.

1. I'm Not Talented Enough

The War on "Talent" by Diablo2003

   Have you ever seen a five year old draw?  The artists you admire so much started as five year olds drawing just like that.  We all start on a level playing field, one five year old does not draw better than any other (unless they're your kid, in which case they are the best in the class).  So what differentiates you from Van Gogh?  Try a few thousand hours.  Like anything you do in life, your skill at art depends more on the effort you put in than any innate ability you may or may not have.

2. I'm Not Creative Enough
   Creativity is not some mystical power that you're born with, it's a skill that takes practice to learn and master.  You could compare it to a muscle, if you don't exercise and strengthen it it will continue to be weak.  But if you do exercise it you may be surprised at what you can achieve.  Artists of all sorts run into an issue commonly referred to as creative block.  Its the inability to come up with any new or interesting ideas.  Yet they don't give up drawing, instead they exercise their creative muscles until they're strong enough to overcome the problem.

Creative Block by CrazyDreamer1

3. I Just Don't Have the Eye for It
   Similar to the "I'm Not Creative Enough" myth.  An eye for what works and what doesn't is developed not inherent.  You would certainly cringe if saw where some artists began.  The good news is that its easy to learn what works.  There are a number of resources to teach you how to improve your 'eye' and with a bit of practice and direction you can find yourself improving by leaps and bounds.

4. I Simply Cant Get <Insert Object> Right!
I'll let you in on a little secret: Neither can I, neither could Raphael, neither could any artist since the beginning of time.  The trick is to move on.  The one I hear most often is "I can't get my eyes to look the same, they're always different sizes or at a different angle or" you get the picture.  But take a good look at someones face.  It isn't symmetrical.  Not perfectly.  So why do we think our drawing should be?  Its a common trick the mind plays on us.  We like to think everything is perfect.  Look at the Greeks and their obsession with circles.Ultimately very few things in this world fit those expectations. If you'll relax a bit and let your work be imperfect it will end up looking better in the end.  Have faith in that.

The theme throughout these myths is the mistaken belief that if you're good at something now you must have always been that way.  But in reality no one is good at anything that they haven't put effort into.  I would like to leave you with this quote by Scott Adams, and an artistic rendering of it by Vitaminv.

Creative Mistakes by vitaminv

What are some common myths you've heard? Why or why not are they a myth?

~TickledpinkArt